2010 Corolla LE - CV Boots and Axle Outer CV Seep/Leak Repair Cost

[hotwheeler]

This was indicated on my last maintenance service done at Toyota service center:

PASS OUTER CV BOOT - NEEDS AXLE SEE HISTORY AND DRIVERS SIDE BOOT

Prior to my last service these were the notes (not in order):
1] PASSENGER SIDE AXLE - price quote $781
2] PASSENGER FRONT AXLE OUTER BOOT IS LEAKING - price quote $781
3] LEFT SIDE CV BOOTS SEEPING GREASE $373, RIGHT SIDE AXLE OUTER CV BOOT LEAKING $781

Now when 1-3 were noted I was told that it's minor and not urgent. I have my car service at approx every 2 months every 5K miles. So it's been almost a year since it was noted first. I've just been putting it off because of the major services that was done lately.

How much am I looking at to have it done on a non-Toyota service center or a local mechanic?

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

Welcome to the Corolla Forum! :thumbsup::clap::thumbup::thumbup1:arty:

I'm afraid there is no simple cut and dried answer to your question. Parts prices and labor rates particularly can vary widely around the United States from auto center to auto center, or even other countries. The only way to get an accurate answer to your question is to pick up the phone and call around in your area to various auto centers. Keep in mind though that you will most likely get price quotes that will be for a remanufactured axle shaft from China sold by discount auto parts stores. It will not be a brand new axle shaft from Toyota, unless you specifically state that is what you want.

Good luck with it.

 

[hotwheeler]

I'm afraid there is no simple cut and dried answer to your question. Parts prices and labor rates particularly can vary widely around the United States from auto center to auto center, or even other countries. The only way to get an accurate answer to your question is to pick up the phone and call around in your area to various auto centers. Keep in mind though that you will most likely get price quotes that will be for a remanufactured axle shaft from China sold by discount auto parts stores. It will not be a brand new axle shaft from Toyota, unless you specifically state that is what you want.

Good luck with it.

Gotcha. That was a quick reply. Just any info or guesstimates will surely help. I drive ~45miles one way to/fro work, location Los Angeles area and will not settle for crappy parts just trying to get more for my buck. Thanks for pointing out remanufactured parts.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

When this leaking CV boot was noticed, is there any chance it could be covered under warranty? It's rather unusual for a leaking CV boot to occur at such low mileage. The CV boot/axle shaft is part of the drivetrain and might be covered under warranty. Check your owners manual.

For a low quality remanufactured in China axle shaft it would cost very roughly about half as much as you've been quoted. Whatever independent auto center you get a quote from, they can get a new axle shaft from Toyota and install it for you.

$781 does sound a bit high.

 

[hotwheeler]

When this leaking CV boot was noticed, is there any chance it could be covered under warranty? It's rather unusual for a leaking CV boot to occur at such low mileage. The CV boot/axle shaft is part of the drivetrain and might be covered under warranty. Check your owners manual.

I think they waited for my car to get out of warranty before noting the repairs needed on my axles. :thumbdown: I always have my car serviced at the same Toyota dealership.

For a low quality remanufactured in China axle shaft it would cost very roughly about half as much as you've been quoted. Whatever independent auto center you get a quote from, they can get a new axle shaft from Toyota and install it for you.

$781 does sound a bit high.

Yeah $781 is way up there.. I brought the car to a local mechanic, shown him the notes made by toyota repair tech and according to him each axle kit or part will cost $60. He suggested to have the driver side axle replaced too since the parts are not that expensive. He assured me it'll be a Toyota oem part. As for the labor it will be under negotiation and will probably not cost me much. I can wait while the repair is done. Looking at $200 total cost.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

"Axle kit"? If you are referring to a CV boot kit, you do not want to go that route. When a CV boot tears and leaks grease out, it's also allowing road grime/dirt/sand into the CV joint and then just replacing the CV boot, it wont be too terribly long down the road before the CV joint will go bad because of the dirt that got into the CV joint. Then you'll end up having to basically perform the repair twice, paying labor charges twice, costing you much more money than just replacing the entire axle shaft, with two new CV joints and boots in the first place.

There is no way that a complete axle shaft with two new CV joints from Toyota would only run $60. That's just not possible. Even an axle shaft from the discount auto parts store Advance Auto Parts is $69.99, so there's no way a new, original Toyota axle shaft could be had for less money than a cheaper aftermarket part - http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...bly-ncv10553/20870955-P?searchTerm=axle+shaft

Labor is never under negotiation. Labor rates are set in the Mitchell repair guide which is standard for the auto repair industry that shows the labor time it should take for a given repair with any vehicle. Then you take that labor time and multiply it by the labor rate of the auto repair center to get a labor total. For example, 1.7 hours of labor time to replace an axle shaft X $80 per hour labor rate = $136 labor charge.

I really don't like the sound of what you are being told. "Under negotiation", and, "Axle kit". It sounds to me like what you are being quoted for is a CV book kit, which again you don't want to do for the above mentioned reason. Also, to replace just the CV boot it is necessary to remove the CV joint, which is quite a bit of a labor charge. Then down the road, when that CV joint fails because of ingested road grime, you will get hit with a big labor bill again. This is not cost efficient of course.

For just a little bit more of a labor charge, you can have the entire axle shaft replaced with two new CV joints and boots, so you're starting from new again.

To help you out so you wont get taken advantage of, I called a Toyota dealership and got some prices for you. The right side axle shaft is $545.71 and the left side axle shaft is $466.14, (and that's just for parts), so there's no way a $60 price quote is for a new Toyota axle shaft.

The labor rate is 1.7 hours per side for each axle shaft, which for the Toyota dealership I called was $161.42 each. Their labor rate is $95 per hour and this fluctuates from one auto repair center to another.

Calling my local Firestone auto center, they quoted me 2.9 hours of labor for both axle shafts, and a total price of $582 + tax. Apparently the Toyota dealership is using a different labor estimating guide than the Mitchell labor guide.

He suggested to have the driver side axle replaced too since the parts are not that expensive.

You were already told by the Toyota dealership that both outer CV boots were leaking grease. So there's no, "suggested to have the driver side axle replaced too". They are both leaking, left side and right side.

As for the labor it will be under negotiation and will probably not cost me much.

1.7 hours X an average $80 labor rate = $136 per side X 2 = $272 just for labor. That's a lot of money.

Never drop off you car at any auto repair center without a written estimate in your hand for the cost of the repair. Not doing this, you are setting yourself up for being taken as then the auto repair center can charge you anything they feel like. Be careful! The auto repair business is rife with crooks!

What you are being told is entirely incorrect and I strongly advise you go elsewhere to get some written estimates for the left and right side axle shafts and not just the CV boots.

Also, especially considering that this is not an inexpensive repair, you would be wise to push the warranty issue about this. How many miles are on your Corolla? I think you might very well be able to get this covered under warranty on a customer satisfaction basis.

I hope I got back to you on this in time and you haven't had the repair done yet?

 

[hotwheeler]

What you are being told is entirely incorrect and I strongly advise you go elsewhere to get some written estimates for the left and right side axle shafts and not just the CV boots.

Also, especially considering that this is not an inexpensive repair, you would be wise to push the warranty issue about this. How many miles are on your Corolla? I think you might very well be able to get this covered under warranty on a customer satisfaction basis.

I hope I got back to you on this in time and you haven't had the repair done yet?

Appreciate the tips. Repairs are not yet done.. and he's a retired friends dad that used to work as a mechanic (not sure about he's actual job designation), repair cost is under negotiation coz if i ask him how much he wouldn't say how much since we know each other so looks like it's up to me what to give to him, i wouldn't mind giving him extra from what i've save by going to a toyota shop. he takes care of a lot of his friends cars (mostly japanese make). warranty wise, the dealership has long been noting the passenger side leak and lately indicated "needs new axle". I now have 109K miles I'm pretty sure the Toyota service dept that I go to will not cover it. The note on the left cv boot, indicated as seeping grease was just last month.. It's what pushed me to finally get it done.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

Again, you don't want a CV boot kit. You and an entire new axle shaft. Having a friend do it will provide you exactly zero warranty.

CV boots can sometimes seep grease for years and still function just fine. If the CV joints aren't making any clicking noises when you are turning and accelerating, they are fine, so far. In other words, it might not even be necessary to do anything with this, for now.

 

[hotwheeler]

Again, you don't want a CV boot kit. You and an entire new axle shaft. Having a friend do it will provide you exactly zero warranty.

CV boots can sometimes seep grease for years and still function just fine. If the CV joints aren't making any clicking noises when you are turning and accelerating, they are fine, so far. In other words, it might not even be necessary to do anything with this, for now.

Yep axle shaft assembly it is :thumbsup: .. will make sure on Saturday that it is what will be replaced (driver & passenger side). I do hear clunky noises when doing left U-turns and also when turning to the right from the street to park on our driveway (driveway a bit elevated).

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

$500 + for one and $400 + for the other, O.E. Toyota axle shafts.

Call around to competent auto parts stores like NAPA or Carquest and see what kind of prices they have. Try to avoid the low end stuff as it doesn't tend to last very long.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

hotwheeler - Any updates for us?

 

[hotwheeler]

hotwheeler - Any updates for us?

we're done replacing both 2 front cv axles using reman parts. both axles were replaced pretty quickly ~45mins then topped off the transmission fluid (bought from a nearby Toyota service center).

catch is for some reason my ABS, VSC Off (blinking) and the slip indicator lights turned on and won't turn off. checked the cables, wires & sensors and all seemed intact. car drives fine. disconnected the battery to see if it'll reset -- no effect, still ON.

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

Oh no. Sorry to say I don't have any experience with that. When that light is on it means those systems are not functioning properly. It might be time to have a Toyota trained technician to diagnose it.

Is there anyone else on the forum here that can help out hotwheeler?

 

[hotwheeler]

Oh no. Sorry to say I don't have any experience with that. When that light is on it means those systems are not functioning properly. It might be time to have a Toyota trained technician to diagnose it.

Is there anyone else on the forum here that can help out hotwheeler?

yeah it sucks, what seems to be an easy job creates another headache :blink: oh by the way, cost wise i paid $210 total. ~$10 for a quart of transmission fluid + $120 for both cv axles + $80 labor (note: not a shop just a house).

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Did you take off any grounds or other electrical?

 

[hotwheeler]

Did you take off any grounds or other electrical?

nope. I disconnected the battery though for a few seconds when the lights did not turn off after driving >100miles. trac/slip button basically is not working

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

During the replacement of the axle shafts, were any wires or sensors moved?

 

[hotwheeler]

During the replacement of the axle shafts, were any wires or sensors moved?

nope..

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

Interesting. I suggest going back to the auto parts store you purchased the remanufactured axle shafts from and tell them the problem you are having. They may have a solution for you. If they can't help you, contact the company that remanufactured the axle shafts and ask them for assistance.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Check the tone rings and the sensors around them. Possible it shifted during replacement of the CV shaft. That would trigger the ABS light and disable VSC if the tone rings or the sensors got messed with during replacement.

 

[hotwheeler]

Check the tone rings and the sensors around them. Possible it shifted during replacement of the CV shaft. That would trigger the ABS light and disable VSC if the tone rings or the sensors got messed with during replacement.

will do. i just hope we did not damaged any of those uggh :no: i'll see if i can post some photos i took (after, with the wheels on)

 

[dahoodman]

My driver's side boot has been split for nearly a year and narry a sound can be heard from the joints. When I lived in Alaska it was VERY common for boots to split and we just waited until the joints nearly gave up before replacing and that's pretty much the approach I've been taking on all my vehicles since and so far the joints have lasted several years past the point of the splitting and flinging grease all over the underside of my engine! That being said, I don't roll around muddy and sandy roads that much like we did in AK. I also drive about 20K a year.

 

[hotwheeler]

My driver's side boot has been split for nearly a year and narry a sound can be heard from the joints. When I lived in Alaska it was VERY common for boots to split and we just waited until the joints nearly gave up before replacing and that's pretty much the approach I've been taking on all my vehicles since and so far the joints have lasted several years past the point of the splitting and flinging grease all over the underside of my engine! That being said, I don't roll around muddy and sandy roads that much like we did in AK. I also drive about 20K a year.

noted by a tech from a toyota service center:
PASS OUTER CV BOOT - NEEDS AXLE

basically you're saying that i shouldn't have replaced my axle specially the passenger side that's been noted as leaking for more than a year? and that the note from my last maintenance (Toyota service center) should be ignored? maybe we should have a sticky on this axle leaks..

 

[Scott O'Kashan]

Any updates?

 

[hotwheeler]

Any updates?

None. I'm tempted though to try this one out "how to reset toyota abs light without scan tool", video here:

 

[Bastiaan]

noted by a tech from a toyota service center:
PASS OUTER CV BOOT - NEEDS AXLE

basically you're saying that i shouldn't have replaced my axle specially the passenger side that's been noted as leaking for more than a year? and that the note from my last maintenance (Toyota service center) should be ignored? maybe we should have a sticky on this axle leaks..

Hi all,

this is my first time ever on a "forum" I bought my Corolla new in May 2010 in Vancouver Canada. This morning I was told that I need both CV boots replaced. The car has only 82.000 kilometers on it !
I enjoy the car regardless of it shortcomings, but this is outlandish. I have never had to replace a CV boot in my life, I am 68 ! This was going to be my "Hassle-free" retirement car. Anyway, has anybody tried the "split boot" and if so, did it work.
Thanks folks and greetings from a very hot YVR.

Bas.

 

[Tow-Tow Until You Bow]

I think they waited for my car to get out of warranty before noting the repairs needed on my axles. :thumbdown: I always have my car serviced at the same Toyota dealership.



Yeah $781 is way up there.. I brought the car to a local mechanic, shown him the notes made by toyota repair tech and according to him each axle kit or part will cost $60. He suggested to have the driver side axle replaced too since the parts are not that expensive. He assured me it'll be a Toyota oem part. As for the labor it will be under negotiation and will probably not cost me much. I can wait while the repair is done. Looking at $200 total cost.

They just love ripping us off, don't they? Had a similar situation - charged me 170, that was about two years ago. Good luck with the repair!

 

[Bastiaan]

They just love ripping us off, don't they? Had a similar situation - charged me 170, that was about two years ago. Good luck with the repair!

Hi there, thanks for answering,
what I did: I ordered the "Hippo CV Boots" from Italy, including postage it was 78 Euro from Italy to Vancouver BC.
A good friend of mine with access to a hoist followed the instructions, and lo and behold it went exactly as promised on you tube. I rather stick pins in my eyes than ever bringing my car back to the Dealership. One hint I like to give, when you or somebody else is installing the boot, do NOT touch the glue,
it is virtually impossible to get it of your finger tips and it is incredibly strong.We glued the boots and than really pulled on them in order to put the grease into them that came with the parcel.
I can highly recommend this repair. We had the car on the hoist this morning, I have put 3000 kilometers on it since the installation and not a trace of seeping and or grease leaking.
ps order the smallest diameter.

Bas.

 

[Tow-Tow Until You Bow]

Hi there, thanks for answering,
what I did: I ordered the "Hippo CV Boots" from Italy, including postage it was 78 Euro from Italy to Vancouver BC.
A good friend of mine with access to a hoist followed the instructions, and lo and behold it went exactly as promised on you tube. I rather stick pins in my eyes than ever bringing my car back to the Dealership. One hint I like to give, when you or somebody else is installing the boot, do NOT touch the glue,
it is virtually impossible to get it of your finger tips and it is incredibly strong.We glued the boots and than really pulled on them in order to put the grease into them that came with the parcel.
I can highly recommend this repair. We had the car on the hoist this morning, I have put 3000 kilometers on it since the installation and not a trace of seeping and or grease leaking.
ps order the smallest diameter.

Bas.

Hey, man, good looking out! Thanks for the advice. You know, this is exactly why i love forums like this: simply folks just telling each other personal stories, trying to help each other, reaching out - that kind of stuff. Deffinitely gonna take you gluing techniques into my list of DIYs - appreciate it!